KSTP Sports & 1500 ESPN Take the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Judd Zulgad and Phil Mackey from 1500 ESPN joined Chris Long from 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS Sports in taking the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge.

Click the video box on this page to see Long, Zulgad and Mackey face the Ice Bucket Challenge

There have been other Ice Bucket Challenges of one manner or another before, but the current one that's swept the nation was started by a former college baseball player - Pete Frates - hoping to promote awareness for ALS. Frates has been battling the disease, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease - for several years.

The idea is: you take a dousing with a bucket of ice water, donate money to an ALS charity, then challenge others to follow suit.

Social media swept up the spirit of the Challenge and quickly spread it's word - and the spirit of charitable giving.

According to a report in the Wall Street Journal - as of Thursday, the ALS Association had raised $7.6-million in donations over the last two weeks. That compares with $1.4-million inthe same time period last year.

The donations came from existing donors and 145,918 new donors, according to the report in the Wall Street Journal.